Precision driving: Scrutiny of poor driving intensifies

Lately, I marvel at the growing press afforded the subject of driving. Magazine writers, newspaper columnists, bloggers, and others not normally expounding on vehicle operation, have suddenly joined the fray.

It seems that nearly everyone has an opinion about how we drive our vehicles these days — even the Vatican. A list of 10 driving commandments, recently emanating from the Pope’s home, counsels drivers on how to act upon our roadways.

The first one is graphic, but apt: You shall not kill. I already knew that one, but certain drivers might need such a reminder. The other commandments have to do with courtesy, charity, forgiveness, protection, and responsibility. Those are all good tenets, but what about some which reflect the times? Like: Thou shall not covet/siphon thy neighbor’s gasoline, for example, or, stay off the dammed phone!

Another new Web site, www.negligentdriving.com, reflects that latter sentiment. At this site, Webmasters tout the importance of curbing the inappropriate driving of distracted, impatient, careless, and ultimately, negligent drivers. Their message is clear about the dangers of speed, distraction, and drunkenness.

This group of safety advocates is borne of the restaurant industry, and their information rings true. They remind us that throughout the last 20 years, traffic fatalities involving BAC (blood alcohol content) over the legal limit have decreased; yet overall deaths have risen. Statistics show that fatalities involving no alcohol are rapidly rising.

The folks at negligentdriving.com attribute this to modern lifestyle. According to them, “The intersection of high-tech, in-car gadgets and busy, sleep-deprived people who speed off to work while multitasking has created a perfect storm of highway risks that is reflected in ever-higher traffic fatalities.”

This group also reiterates that influences such as drowsiness or conversation cause greater impairment than driving drunk. I agree with their summation of this risky driving, where they state, “There is often a disconnect between the public’s perception of the danger of various actions, and the actual danger correlated with them, resulting in millions of unknowingly negligent drivers cruising the roads at any given moment.”

Within their site, these safety advocates also talk of an unwanted trend in accidents involving drinking: the average BAC of offenders is rising. In fatal accidents where alcohol was a factor, the BAC of the faulty party is normally twice the legal limit.

Programs like MADD have had a profound effect on the social drinker, but it seems like serious alcohol abusers are not getting the message.

If hand-held phone users abide by the law next year, when the use of such devices is prohibited, how will I explain their poor driving? At least now, when I see that handset held to drivers’ ears, I have an explanation, or even a warning, of their inept driving.

Yesterday, as I approached a school zone, complete with cones, overhead warning lights, and adult crossing guards, a speeding driver passed by. I saw the telltale reason for her indifference to the impending 20 mph zone as she passed — a cell phone applied to the right ear.

Her next move was to stab the brakes (like a drunk might) right at the crosswalk border. This slowdown was harsh enough to raise the rear bumper of her car a few inches, and raise the ire of a crossing guard. No one was crossing at the time, but I believe that her speed would have disallowed a complete stop before the crosswalk.

The next driver I saw on his phone was holding up traffic while he talked and waited to make an illegal left turn over a quadruple-yellow median line. Again, at least a possible reason for his inattentiveness was visible — the hand-held phone. If this guy switches to a hands-free phone next year, he’ll still be distracted, but we won’t be able to tell why.

Another innovative driver I saw was working on his compliance with the upcoming hands free requirement. He still didn’t have it perfected, though, because even though the phone was lodged between his head and shoulder leaving his hands free, he was using his hands to hold his tablet and the pen he was writing with. Actually, he wasn’t driving too well either, since he was going about 30 mph on a freeway entrance ramp.

What drivers need most is common sense, and devotion to the driving task. You may not even realize some of your dangerous driving habits — until you have to fill out an accident report, or worse, are unable to fill one out. Please avoid distraction while driving, affording yourself the time to think about what you doing.